Saturday, March 28, 2015

New Video - Spectrum Motorized Projection Screen is Now Available With UHD Acoustically Transparent Material

(Click Image for product video)

The Spectrum AcousticPro UHD is a motorized moiré-free acoustically transparent projection screen by Elite Screens. The fine woven acoustically-transparent (AcousticProUHD) material is designed to be placed in front of speakers allowing sound to pass through the material with minimal attenuation while maintaining exceptional picture quality with 1080P or 4K resolution projectors. Standard control accessories include an Infrared remote control, 5-12 volt trigger capability, and a detachable wall switch keypad. Optional features include wireless RF 12v trigger and ceiling trim kit for recessed ceiling installations.

To learn more about our various lines of projection screens, please contact us at:

HyperX Predator PCIe SSD offers large capacities (240GB, 480GB) and incredible speeds to take systems to the edge. Faster than SATA-based SSDs, the PCIe generation 2.0 x4 interface delivers speeds up to 1400MB/s read and 1000MB/s write for ultra-responsive multitasking and an overall faster system. It is powered by the Marvell 88SS9293 controller.

The M.2 form factor ensures next-generation platform support with an M.2 PCIe slot. An optional half-height, half-length (HHHL) adapter is also available for many existing motherboards without an M.2 socket. The HHHL adapter comes with both standard and low-profile brackets to fit in slim profile desktop builds.

HyperX is the high-performance product division of Kingston Technology encompassing high-speed DDR4 and DDR3 memory, SSDs, USB Flash drives, headsets and gaming accessories. Targeted at gamers, overclockers and enthusiasts, HyperX is known throughout the world for quality, performance and innovation. HyperX is committed to eSports as it sponsors over 20 teams globally and is the main sponsor of Intel Extreme Masters. HyperX can be found at many shows including Brasil Game Show, China Joy, DreamHack, gamescom and PAX.

HyperX® is a division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the world’s largest independent memory manufacturer. Established in 2002, HyperX is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, USA. For more information, please call 800-337-8410 or visit www.kingston.com/us/memory/hyperx.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

March
Madness is in full swing. And for you
music fans out there, that means it is also time for our annual Headphone
Shootout! We have some amazing products
from some awesome manufacturers this year, as usual. MSRP's range from $100 to $1000. And we will be dividing them into three
categories: Over the Ear, In the Ear,
and Wireless. With March Madness, the teams
are seeded. And there are times, when a
low seeded teams shocks the world, playing better than expected, and takes out
a higher seed team. And the opposite is sometimes
true as well: a high seed team doesn't perform up to expectations. The same can be true in doing our annual
shootout. Instead of seeds, they are
labeled with an MSRP. And there are
times when a headphone performs better than it's MSRP, and the opposite can
also be true. We'll be starting out this
year's shootout with the over the ear models.
They will be followed by the IEM's, and wireless. So , without any further waiting, let's get
this party started!

We will
start with AKG Y50. They are an over the ear design. The ear caps are fairly
standard soft padded cups, as is the adjustable head band. But not so standard,
especially with an MSRP of $100, are detachable cables, which is extremely rare
feature at this price point. They even
have built-in remote in the cable to smartphone control.

Features and
specs:

Driver

Closed-back headphones

Frequency Response

16Hz-24kHz

Maximum Input Power

100 mW

Input Impedance

32 ohms

Sensitivity

115 dB SPL/V

Cable

1.20 m

Cable

99.99% oxygen-free cable

Connector

Jack plug 3.5mm, hard gold-plated

Weight

190 g

Colour

Red

The AKG Y50
came in attractive packaging with a large clear plastic window so you can see
the product. They are mostly made of plastic, with some metal in the headband.
Quality of materials used in their construction was good, as was the fit and
finish. The AKG Y50 was also easy to adjust, and were comfortable to wear. And
I loved the fact that they have detachable cables. Also included were a
carrying bag, manual, airplane adapter,
and 1/4“ adapter.

They also
came with some nice functionality. Their
smaller on ear size also made them more compact and portable. The earpads rotate and fold to help with
that. And while they fit on the ear, the earpads are soft and comfortable for
longer listening sessions.

When it came
to listening, they performed very well.
Fresh Aire II: Going To Another Place, provided string instruments that
were really crisp with good resolution.
Piano sounded very natural, the flute had good air. And the kick drum had nice low end extension. Steve Miller Band: Swingtown, had percussion
and guitar that was crisp and clean, with natural sounding keyboard. Vocals were smooth with some texture. The bass guitar had nice extension as did the
drums. No Doubt: Hella Good yielded percussion
that was crisp and bass was very deep and played with good authority. Vocals
sounded natural. There is a lot of energy in the track and it came out very
well. Eric Bibb: Don’t Ever Let Nobody
Drag Your Spirit Down, guitar sounded clean with good resolution. Piano sounded
fairly natural. Imaging was quite good, and they created a decent sized sound
stage. Vocals were also natural sounding with good resolution.

Next up is
the Marshall Major II. They are an on the ear design. Being an on the ear
design, the ear cups are smaller, and the entire product is a bit more compact.
The ear cups are sufficiently soft faux leather. The headband is easily
adjustable MSRP is $120. The cord is
partially coiled for additional length, and also has built-in mic and remote
for use with a smartphone. You can even pick which earcup you want to plug the cable into. Want to share your music with a friend? They can plug into the other earcup!

Features and
specs:

TRANSDUCER

40mm MOVING COIL DYNAMIC SPEAKER

IMPEDANCE

64 Ω

SENSITIVITY

100mV@1kHz = 99dB SPL

FREQUENCY RANGE

10Hz-20kHz

The Marshall
Major II came in an attractive box. Opening the box revealed the well protected
headphones. Materials used in the construction were mostly plastic with some
metal. Quality of materials used were good. The fit and finish was also good.
They seemed to be well made and extremely durable. Also included was a soft
carry bag, ¼” adapter, and manual. My personal preference is over the ear
design, but the Marshall Major II was easy to adjust, and they were also fairy
comfortable to wear. I really like the
fact that the cables were also detachable, and part metal around critical areas
around where the connections are. It
would sure take a lot more abuse than normal to get a short in these cables! Now it's time see how they sound.

Fresh Aire
II: Going To Another Place, the crisp
strings had nice dynamics, flute was smooth with air. Piano sounded fairly
natural and the kick drum had a nice low extension with some authority. Steve Miller Band: Swingtown, percussion and
guitar was very crisp and clean. The keyboard sounded natural. Vocals were
pleasantly smooth with good resolution. The drums had nice dynamics. No Doubt: Hella Good, percussion was very
crisp and dynamic. Bass played deep with sufficient authority. The vocals
sounded natural. Eric Bibb: Don’t Ever
Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down, guitar was fairly clean with good resolution.
Piano was natural sounding. Imaging was good as was the soundstage. Vocals were
very dynamic with good resolution.

The Creative
Aurvana Live 2 is an over the ear headphone. They are marketed to the
audiophile on a tight budget, with an $129 MSRP. The ear cups fold for easy
storage. The drivers are made with bio-cellulose diaphragm for improved sound.
They also feature a detachable cable with built-in mic and controls.

The Creative
Aurvana Live 2 came in an attractive box with photos and specs of the product.
The Aurvana Live 2 is mostly made of plastic with some metal. The ear cups are
made of faux leather with memory foam padding. Quality of materials used is
very good, as is the fit and finish. They are a well made product and using
memory foam made for a comfortable fit. Also included is the soft carry
case. I loved the fact that the Creative
Aurvana Live 2 uses detachable cables. So if you ever get a short in the cable,
all you have to do is replace the cable!

Fresh Aire
II: Going To Another Place, strings were very crisp with better than expected
resolution. Piano sounded very natural. Kick drum had real kick, with authority
and nice low end extension. The flute had very nice air and was smooth. Steve
Miller Band: Swingtown, percussion and guitar was very crisp and clean, kick
drum and bass guitar had nice low end extension with authority. Vocals were
smooth with good resolution. No Doubt:
Hella Good, percussion was very crisp and dynamic, with good resolution. The
bass was deep with good impact and authority. Vocals were natural, smooth with
nice texture. The track had a lot of energy and it came through very well! Eric Bibb: Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your
Spirit Down, the guitar had very good resolution. The piano was dynamic and
sounded natural. Imaging was good as was the sound stage. Vocals were smooth
and natural with good texture.

Fairly new
to the headphone arena is Kingston with their HyperX Cloud II. They are a
standard large over the ear design. Primarily focused as a gaming headphone,
they can also do double duty for music. In fact the boom mic is also detachable
to make them easier to use for music. For those of you that want to get your
game on, the Kingston HyperX Cloud II will even let you do so in 7.1 simulated surround
sound! At an MSRP of only $149, they are
a bargain!

The Kingston
HyperX Cloud II came shipped well protected. The box is well done with pictures
of the product and its specs. Construction was mostly made of plastic with some
metal. Although the quality of materials was very good. The fit and finish was
also very good, as it was very well made product. Included were the owner’s
manual, soft carry bag, multiple cables, detachable mic, as well as a pair of
cloth ear pads.

I really
liked the design of the Kingston HyperX Cloud II, which provides excellent
functionality. They came with faux leather pads, but also come with cloth pads!
So whichever is more comfortable to you, you are covered. There is a standard
cord for listening to music. And if you are going to do some gaming, the mic
can be plugged in, and there is the difference cable with a built-in toggle for
surround sound. They are comfortable for
long music or gaming sessions.

Fresh Aire
II: Going To Another Place, percussion was crisp, very clean, with good
resolution. Piano sounded natural. Kick drum had nice low end extension and
played with some authority. Flute was smooth with good air. Steve Miller Band: Swingtown, provided excellent
crispness in the percussion. Kick drum and bass guitar played with good depth,
impact, and authority. Vocals were very natural and had nice texture. No Doubt: Hella Good, percussion was very
crisp and dynamic. Bass played deep with good authority, vocals were natural,
smooth with good texture and resolution.
Eric Bibb: Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down, guitar was
really clean with good resolution. Piano was dynamic and sounded very natural.
Imaging was very good and they threw a nice wide sound stage. Vocals were
smooth with very good resolution.

The Monster
DNA 2.0 has proved to be a bit of an evolution in the way we can listen to our
music. They are a fairly standard over the ear design, with folding ear cups
for more portability. They are the brain child of Noel Lee, the Head Monster,
and have been critically acclaimed to have the best overall sound among all
genre. This is where they stand apart from everyone else, as they achieve this
feat with their sound app, for iTunes.Want to listen to 50 Cent, and listen to the way 50 Cent intended, just
select the 50 Cent profile in the app.With the Monster DNA Pro 2.0, you can listen to your music the way the
artist intended, thanks to the "Pure Monster Sound Experience" app
that is available in the iTunes app store.And all of this can be yours for only $299.

Features and
specs:

IN THE BOX

Stylish carrying case. Monster®
cleaning cloth.

Pure Monster Sound®

You don't have to choose
between deep bass and or crystal details,. DNA® headphones are tuned for a live
full range music sonic experience. Pure Monster Sound—it’s just like being
there.

Noise Isolation/No
Batteries Needed

With an all- new design,
Monster® DNA® Over-Ear headphones deliver live, studio quality sound with
passive noise isolation without the need for batteries. Serve your music up
Louder. More powerful,. d More dynamic and. Punchier visceral—and with deeper bass
low end you can feel.

MusicShare™

DNA® headphones' dual
MusicShare™ audio input jacks let you link your MusicShare™ headphones together
and share the audio. Plug in and experience music and movies with your friends.

Pillow Soft Noise
Isolation

The pillow-soft Advanced Noise
Isolating cushions are comfortable and designed for hours extended wear, while
keeping noise out and keeping your music from disturbing others.

The Monster
DNA 2.0 came packaged in Monster style. The packaging is beautiful, with photos
of the product and its specs and features.
Sliding off the sleeve and opening the box reveals an attractive pair of
headphones in carbon fiber, and well protected. The materials used in
construction are mostly plastic with some metal in the headband and hinges.
Quality of materials as well as fit and finish is excellent. It is a quality
product that feels solid and well made in the hand. They are also very
comfortable for long listening sessions with the soft faux leather ear cup pads,
and shape of the pads. They looked
really cool, especially in the carbon fiber color, and felt like a true premium
product as Monster tends to make. So
naturally I couldn't wait to try them out!

Fresh Aire
II: Going To A New Place, strings were extremely crisp and clean with nice
dynamics. Piano sounded sufficiently natural. Flute sounded smooth with lots of
air. Kick drum was dynamic, tight and had lots of kick with excellent extension
and authority. I loved the amount of resolution and detail I could hear. Steve Miller Band: Swingtown, percussion and
guitar had excellent crispness and resolution, the kick drum and bass guitar
played deep with excellent output. Vocals were very natural sounding with very
good texture. No Doubt: Hella Good, had
excellent crispness and dynamics in the percussion. Bass provided in your chest
impact and excellent depth and authority. Vocals were natural, smooth, with
very good texture and resolution. The energy in the track was delivered in spades! Eric Bibb: Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your
Spirit Down, percussion was clean with good resolution. Bass was deep with good
authority. Piano was very natural sounding and very dynamic. Imaging was very
good and they threw a large soundstage. Vocals had excellent resolution and
were very natural sounding.

The Monster
DNA Pro 2.0's sounded amazing! They
handled these tracks I chose for this year's shootout with ease. Before I realized what I was doing, I had
already gone past those tracks and onto some of my other favorites, getting
lost in the music. And after all, isn't
that the goal for what headphones are supposed to do? Noel Lee nailed it with these! And using the "Pure Monster Sound
Experience" app added even more functionality, being able to customize the
sound to who you are listening to. And
it sounded great!

When Blue
decided to design a new headphone, they did so from the ground up! The
headband, ear cups, and drivers…all designed from scratch. The headband has
pivots to give an excellent fit, even with adjustable tension. The ear cups are
ear shaped for a great fit. There is a built-in amp to power the drivers. And
the drivers are premium, designed for the higher power provided by the amp. MSRP is $349.

Features and
specs:

Custom high-powered audiophile
amplifier

50mm, fiber-reinforced dynamic driver

Sealed over-ear design for
superior isolation and feedback prevention

User-adjustable tension and
suspension adapt to any head shape
and size for a perfect fit

Racecar-inspired multi-jointed
headband design keeps earcups parallel
at all times for superior comfort and sound

Rechargeable battery provides up
to 12 hours of playtime; Mo-Fi continues to play music even when battery
has no charge

Amplifier

Output power:240mW

THD+N:0.004%

Frequency response:15Hz-20kHz

SNR, self noise:> 105 dB

Noise:< 20 uV

Battery capacity:1020mAh

Drivers

Type and size:50mm,
fiber-reinforced dynamic driver

Impedance:42 ohms

Frequency response:15Hz-20kHz

Enclosure details:Sealed enclosure
with tuned damping materials

Headphones

Weight:466 g (16.44 oz)

Outer dimensions Closed:21cm x14cm
x12cm (8.27" x 5.51" x 4.72")

Outer dimensions Open:18cm x 29cm
x 12cm (7.09" x 11.42" x 4.72")

Included in the box:

Soft case with cable storage
pocket

1.2-meter audio cable with Apple
iPhone/iPad controls

3-meter audio cable

1-meter USB charging cable

AC charging adaptor

3.5mm to 1/4" TRS adaptor

Two-prong airplane connector

Registration and warranty information

User manual

The Blue
Mo-Fi came shipped in a nice printed box with photos of the headphones, along
with its features and specs. As with most headphones, materials used in the
construction were mostly plastic, but did have more metal than most. Quality of
materials used was excellent, as was the quality of construction. They felt
very solid in hand, and very well built. Also, included were the owner’s
manual, carry bag and airplane adapter. After trying them on, I am sold that
the design worked. The shape of the ear cups fit very well, and was comfortable
for long listening sessions. And the headband was easy to adjust.

Fresh Aire
II: Going To Another Place, strings were extremely crisp and clean. Piano
sounded very natural. Flute was smooth, lots of air and resolution. Kick drum
was tight, dynamic with lots of kick, and good low end extension. Resolution
was phenomenal! Heard things I hadn’t noticed before. Had to pull out my $1400
custom Westone’s to compare! Steve
Miller Band: Swingtown, percussion and guitar was extremely crisp and clean
with excellent detail. Keyboard sounded natural. The kick drum had excellent
dynamics, impact, depth, and played with plenty of authority. Vocals were silky
smooth with excellent texture. No Doubt: Hella Good, the percussion was
extremely crisp and dynamic. Bass had excellent depth with good impact and
authority. Vocals were smooth, natural, with excellent resolution. Stefani came
through as she should…sexy! Eric Bibb: Don’t
Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down, guitar was crisp and clean with
excellent resolution. Piano sounded natural with good detail and tone. Bass had
very good depth and played with authority. Imaging was spot on, and they threw
a nice soundstage. Vocals were extremely natural and
sounded so real. I thought I was there with them, being able to hear the
acoustics of the room. The female singer can really wail, and you can hear it
all.

Using the
built-in amp proved to be a nice feature.
There are three different setting: off, on, and on+. The amp is analog, so there are no digital
DSP or enhancements going on. Off is
passive, when the internal battery is low, or you are already listening thru a
hi power source. On turns on the
built-in amp to give the drivers additional power to give the drivers the power
they crave. On+ gives a bass boost, for
more low end umph for those looking for that sound. The sound of using the amp was really good as
well. Even when cranking it, the sound
was clean and undistorted, although a tad on the warm side with the mids. The overall sound was amazing. And I must admit, after listening to the
tracks used for the review, I couldn't help keeping the music going with
turning to additional favorite tracks. I
got goosebumps!

All of these
over the ear models performed well. The
AKG Y50 sounded better that a $100 pair should.
The Marshall Major II sounded pretty close in aural performance, but
added what appeared to be significant more durability. The Creative Aurvana Live 2 sounded even
better, with the bio-cellulose diaphragm seeming to do its job well. And don't let the Kingston HyperX Cloud II
gaming headphones fool you. When it
comes to music.....they've got their game ON!!
And that's good news for those gamers, which means not only will the
games sound great, but they are ready for serious tunes as well. The Monster DNA Pro 2.0 takes the game to a
whole new level. I can see how they can
be considered as one of the best overall sounding over all genre......because I
heard it! And when you hear about their
music app as part of the package, it is just more music to the ears. And last but not least, the Blue Mo-Fi is
what a headphone should be. They feature
a headband that can be completely adjusted to fit how you would like. But it doesn't end there. The drivers are designed to sound great on
low power devices, but really sing when given the juice from the built-in
amp.